Red Craft
by Belle-irina
Summary: A Mentalist Crossover with The Craft. Can Lisbon Hide her super natural abilites from the ever observant Patrick Jane?
1. Unobservant Begginings

**Disclaimer: I do not own 'The Mentalist' or 'The Craft' but a girl can dream right? **

**Hey, This is my first Fic ever, so go easy on me :) any comments and advice are appreciated! Basically the idea for this story came about after watching 'The Craft' purley to see Robin Tunney in action and well.. Red Craft was born. For anyone who doesint know the Film the craft, well basically it is about witches, so the Craft + The Menatalist = Lisbon as a witch and hopefully a lot of fun. let me know if you want more!**

Patrick Jane spent a vast amount of his time observing. He prided himself on his ability to pick up on details he could use to defraud those around him. Since the first day he stepped into

the CBI building however and became acquainted with a certain petite brunette agent, the consultant had found himself mystified. This is what had lead to his current fascination with

Special Agent Teresa Lisbon and was what caused him to spend his days eyeing her cautiously from a restful position on his favourite leather couch. There was defiantly something

unique about her that was clear, but it was more than her undeniable wit, her indisputable strength or her stern take no prisoner philosophy. No, Jane's fascination with his boss had

more to do with the fact that in some moments he could swear her eyes were a subtle brown rather than the striking green he had become so fond of.

* * *

She couldn't deny that ever since ever since the brazen consultant had joined her team Lisbon had been forced to be more _conservative _with her abilities. Since her time at St. Benedict's

Catholic school she had learnt that absentmindedly moving objects with her telekinetic powers was generally a bad idea, especially now that she was being tailed daily by someone who

was paid to notice when things where out of the ordinary. It had taken a few weeks of Jane being on her team for Lisbon to realise that he watched her more than he did the others, and

she was amazed that he had not picked up on the super natural ease at which she took down assailants twice her size. She pegged it to his wholehearted scepticism of anything

clairvoyant or otherworldly and remained convinced that he was none the wiser. Looking towards the mountain of paper work she had obtained courtesy of her consultant she sighed and

focused her eyes towards a pen. She watched it hover until she decided better of it, noticing the blinds in her office slightly ajar. Reaching over to grab it from where it had clattered back

down onto the desk, she got to work.

* * *

There was little for Jane to entertain himself with that afternoon, as the team worked languidly around him. They were occupied with tying up loose ends and completing reports from a

previous case while the subject of his musings was currently tucked away in her office, probably buried under a pile of Jane induced paper work he assumed.

This allowed him the opportunity to revisit suspicions that he had been hoarding away for some time now.

**If you like the story let me know :) and ill deffinatly update! Thanks guys. **


	2. Puzzle Pieces

**Hey again! Well I got my first reviews and they gave me the encouragement I needed to carry on with this story other! so this chapter is dedicated to Blacl-Angel-001 and Jisbon4ever! Just setting the stage really, more magic to come I promise! and losts more Lisbon in the next chapter. Like always any feed back is great since im new at this! Well enjoy!**

Jane didn't exactly have any basis for his suspicions but he trusted his gut and didn't consider careful planning one of his virtues. Instead he laid out a few basic truths he had gathered

about his undoubtedly private superior. Her name was Teresa Lisbon, she was in her thirties and she was one hell of a dedicated Agent. Basics. Pacing around the bull pen he searched

for other titbits that were stored in the sacred fortress that was his memory. Parents, deceased. Faint scars on her wrists, they were not new scars, those were injuries sustained years

ago he confirmed to himself. Were they a result of her parent's death? She did not seem to be the type to turn to self harm he mused but then, he didn't have details of what had

happened to her family and as far as he knew she was alone... Rigsby cleared his throat interrupting Jane from piecing together a very scarce puzzle.

"Can I help you Jane, or are you okay there burning a whole in the floor" he snickered between mouthfuls.

"Maybe you can help me" Jane responded casually as a light bulb went on in his head. He didn't know enough about the woman to start making conclusions but someone on the team

must be able to give him a clue.

"Have you met any of Lisbon's family" he asked sliding over to Rigsby's desk, trying to seem as clueless as possible.

Rigsby spluttered and stared at him wide eyed.

"Family?" he asked incredulously while glancing around the room for back up.

Cho responded bluntly to Jane's query. "She has none."

"No Family?" Jane feigned surprise and the two men shook their heads.

"Sisters" Van Pelt piped up from behind her computer. She peered over the screen as Jane shifted his attention to her.

"A couple of weeks ago, you were all out of the office" she explained "A woman named Rochelle called asking for her, she wanted me to tell her that her sisters miss her. That's all. And

when I told Lisbon she was . . . strange about it" Van Pelt trailed off.

"Strange?" Jane pushed, but Van Pelt turned back to her keyboard clearly disputing whether or not it had been inappropriate to share such information about her boss. Jane was about to

probe her further when he saw Lisbon saunter into the room. He looked up at her, his expression that of someone who had just been caught with his had in the cookie jar. The others

were looking equally uncomfortable and Van Pelt was projecting a certain amount of guilt into the fast tapping on her keyboard. They all let out a small sigh of relief when Lisbon began

talking about a briefing she was going to attend, seemingly oblivious to the conversation that had just transpired. Jane's mind began to wander as she spoke leaving him with one

uncomfortable thought... why hadn't he _heard_ her walk into the room?

**Hope where you like where this is going, not that its clear (not even to me) but! i will hurry it along in the next chapter! feedback is great! thanks guys :)**


	3. Omniscience

**Disclaimer: I do not own The Mentalist or The Craft.**

**Last Update for the night! hopefully this chapter gives you a bit more understanding about Lisbons Character! Thank you so much for reviewing! if you hadn't I proabably would have spent the night wallowing in misery and refusing to ever write a fic again :) so thanks for the encouragment!**

She could sense that she was the topic of conversation, the tips of her ears burned as they always did when someone was talking about her. People tended to overlook superstitions like

these, but Lisbon knew that everyday there were symbols and signs guiding us all, she was just more . . . tuned into those signs. Frustrated and more the a little concerned about being

the object of Jane's curiosity she closed her eyes and whispered a low chant, causing the remaining papers on her desk to assemble themselves into a tidy pile. She avoided doing that

sort of thing, but the butterflies in her stomach were telling her she should be getting into the bull pen to end whatever conversation was taking place. She wasn't omniscient, she

couldn't know what people were thinking or saying. Maybe she could have if she had trained herself but ever since high school, ever since leaving her coven she had turned he back on

the craft. It was dangerous. Magic had hurt people, it had killed them and it had been her fault. She had never stopped blaming herself for Chris's death. It was the perfect example of

what happened when you messed with magic.

* * *

Instead she decided she would spend her life protecting people from harm, it was in her nature. She hadn't been able to return to that school after what she had been through, without

her sisters, the ones that had turned against her she would have been an outsider. She could have survived that, but it was the memoires and nightmares that haunted her and she had

had to leave. She moved between schools, never fitting in and eventually found her way to the city. From that point on she said goodbye to Sarah Bailey and established herself as

Teresa Lisbon. Now here she was, a Senior Agent with a team who was closer to family than her coven had ever been.

* * *

She was curios however, to find out what was being said about her, so silencing her foot steps with a single thought, she madeher way towards the bull pen. Simple spells, harmless

ones that made mundane tasks easier were accepted by Lisbon. She was a natural witch after all and most of the time she performed spells like this absentmindedly, it was as natural as

taking a breath. So as she silently made her way towards the bull pen, she heard Van Pelt's hushed tones.

"...Rochelle called asking for her, she wanted me to tell her that her sisters miss her. That's all. And when I told Lisbon she was . . . strange about it"

Her stomach dropped at the mention of he so called 'sisters', just as it had the day Van Pelt had passed on that eerily nostalgic message. But before Jane had the opportunity to pry any

further Lisbon snapped out of her frozen state and appeared in the doorway. She watched her team as they squirmed uncomfortably at her arrival. She quickly changed the subject,

making up a swift excuse for why she wouldn't be with them that afternoon. She didn't know why Jane was investigating her personal life, but she didn't like it and there were things she

needed to take care of before he stumbled upon something she definitely could not have him knowing.

**Again, thank you for reading! thanks so much for reviewing! lets see where the story takes us shall we? thanks guys! **


	4. Unethical Exceptions

**Hi Guys! Jane wants to do some sleuthing but our Lisbon is ahead of the game.. she hopes. I Have some ideas of where to take this story so dont worry! we will get there :D. thanks for reading, hope you enjoy the chapter. and thankyou for reveiwing! I promise there will be Jisbony moments to come ;)**

**Disclaimer: I Do not own The mentalist Or the craft, if i did it would have been an on going crime/craft hybrid series. siigghhh.  
**

Jane watched as Lisbon rushed out of the Bull pen. He was suspicious, and a suspicious Jane was a nosy Jane. He let the uncomfortable air around the room settle before announcing to  
the team that he was leaving. Everyone seemed relieved that he wouldn't be around to ask anymore revealing questions about their boss and they quickly got back to work. He stood with his hands behind him and swung back on his heels innocently, before snatching his car keys and bolting out of the room. He was hot on Lisbon's Heels, and made it to the car park just in time to watch her getting into her outsized, black SUV. He had always thought that it looked like an armoured tank in comparison to her tiny frame. Maybe that was why she enjoyed driving it so much, he thought. Maybe Lisbon, his heavily armoured little pocket rocket really did feel the need to be protected by something tangible. If this was the case and Lisbon wasn't really as brave and confident as she appeared then Jane wanted to find out why. He watched her as she drove through the security gate and then crept towards his Citroen.

Lisbon saw a flash of blue, glint in her rear view mirror.

"Dam it Jane" she swore.

She had sensed that he would follow her, he wasn't wrong when he had said that their minds were in sync. Lisbon had realised early on that she did have a strong connection to him and that if she concentrated she could often get a reading on his location. At first she had believed it was due to the heavy darkness that he dragged around with him, an aura like that was hard to miss. But lately she had begun to think that there was more to it than that. What ever it was that connected her subconscious to his, it had come in useful on many occasions. There had been a countless number times where she had come to his rescue, pulling a gun on whoever was threatening his life. Thankfully the others had put it down to uncanny timing and good detective work.

She was grateful whenever he walked away from situation unscathed. It was one of the rare times that she felt truly grateful for her powers. It was because she liked him. She liked him despite the fact that she was constantly compromising her limited magic policy to save his neck. In fact, half the paper work she had to complete because of his reckless behaviour was just for show. If he really knew how many lawsuits and swings to the nose he had avoided because of her intervention he might actually control himself, she thought. Then again, this was Jane. She really did doubt that the CBI would see his 'indispensible' skills as such an asset, if they knew exactly how many of the complaints filed against their golden boy, Lisbon had made disappear. Literally.

She pulled into her drive way and checked the mirrors again. No Jane. She was willing to put money on the fact that he was not far behind though, probably hovering around the corner and waiting for his opportunity to do some sleuthing. Hers was a dead end street and he was smart enough not to be so unsubtle in his stalking, Lisbon acknowledged. She couldn't stay long if she wanted to avoid raising his suspicions any further so as she walked into the house and closed the door, she quickly surveyed her surroundings. Her house was a plain one bedroom, flat. It was modern enough that the generic, new home buyer's furniture arranged in the lounge did not look out of place. Lisbon made her way around the room over scrutinizing every object that might cause Jane to catch on. She picked up the three citronella candles she had sitting on a shelf and pushed them to the back of her kitchen drawer. It was over cautious she realised, but knowing Jane he would some how take and otherwise common house hold item and link it to her past involvement with the occult. Okay, maybe she was just paranoid, but the man did have a strange way of drawing conclusions from inanimate objects.

Making her way to the bedroom she kept an eye out for anything that looked to mystical, magical or otherwise out of one thing she new she should keep from him at all costs was hiding in the back of her underwear draw, a place she was confident he wouldn't look. Either way she wasn't letting him into her house with it there. Reaching to the back of the draw she pulled out the clay figure, it was basic and there wasn't much that could give it away apart from the golden straw curls plastered over its small head. She had made it in a moment of desperation, the night Jane had told her that when he found Red John he was going to cut him open and watch him die slowly. The little clay Patrick she held in her hand was the only weapon she had if it came down to that. If she physically got in the way of Jane when it came to Red John, he would never forgive her. So she prepared the little statue so that if that day came, she could perform a binding spell. Jane couldn't hurt Red John, Lisbon wouldn't lose him and he would have no idea why. She knew it was wrong of her interfere with his fate but she just couldn't let him do it.

Wrapping the little figure in cloth, she made her way back down the stairs. Grabbing a file off the table she made her way out the door locking it behind her. He was going to get inside, but she sure as hell wouldn't make it easy for him. Even though she was uncomfortable with the idea of him snooping through her house, she came to the conclusion that if he went in and found nothing it would put his suspicions to rest. As Lisbon indicated out of her street she saw the ostentatious blue car parked conspicuously near a fire hydrant. She tried to appear unaware as she drove past, but she couldn't help the small smile that flickered across her lips when she saw him duck down in surprise.

**Well, we are getting into it now! Janes turn next... oh dont worry he will deffinatly find something of interest. Lisbon was not quite as thorough as she thought. silly, silly. **

**hope you enjoyed the chapter! let me know what you think :D**


	5. Personal Perceptions

**Oh Lisbon, i would say that letting Jane lose in your home was not the most well thought out idea. I think she may have forgotten that being a Mentalist is a kind of magic of its own! Enjoy! please keep reveiwing! it gives me the inspiration to go on :)**

Jane ducked his head in shock. He hadn't expected to see the black SUV and its little brunette driver to appear around the corner for at least an hour. I mean, surely that is the minimum amount of time it takes to cover ones tracks and hide all their suspect belongings, he thought. Jane had planned his stake out and now his careful timing had been thrown out the window. Maybe Lisbon _was_ just driving home to pick a file she needed for the briefing. It didn't seem plausible to Jane, because A. She was shown undeniable signs of deception when talking to the team only minutes ago and B. If Jane knew anything about Lisbon it was that she was the epitome of organised. It was very out of character for the normally prepared agent to leave a file at home, and that was what had alerted him. At least she hadn't seen him, he thought in relief as he peered through his windscreen a moment later. He waited until she had turned out of the street before starting his car and driving slowly towards her house. He was put out by the lack of shrubbery around the area that left his car so exposed to potential onlookers, but if Lisbon really was going to the CBI he would have plenty of time. Working overtime was a hobby of hers.

Climbing out of the car he peered around and then casually made his way down her driveway. He felt a pang of guilt as he picked at her lock, but he decided the cause justified the means. After all, if he was going to put this inkling of his to the test, he was going to have to do some digging. Besides, she would never even know he was there. He pushed the door open wide and walked in with confidence, not wanting to alert the neighbours by appearing distrustful. He wasn't surprised when he took in the simplicity he was surrounded with. The house was impersonal. Nice, but impersonal. So very Lisbon he thought. He knew she was closed off about her past and her emotions and the space she lived in reflected that. If anything it made him even more curious. There was a lack of colour and character, which lead Jane to believe that she was hiding a much more spirited past. He just needed to know what it was and why she was running from it.

He made his way to the kitchen first and put on the jug. Opening Lisbon's cupboard, he smiled to himself. There were at least three different packets of instant coffee open and at various stages of completion. Pushing these aside he found a neglected tea box. Empty. Settling for water he went to reach for a glass but instead caught sight of a blue mug. It was a similar shade to that of his favourite tea cup and was sitting upside down on with a teabag placed on top. His heart jumped slightly at the possibility that she could have known he would be here. But he decided against it. If Lisbon had really seen him following her, she would not have hesitated to get out of the car and shoot him. With that reassuring thought Jane felt much better, although he decided just to leave the tea. The jug boiled behind him as he walked into living room. Nothing looked out of place, and after giving the room a once over her made his way towards the stairs. The phone rang and Jane froze his hand on the banister. He waited as the phone flicked to answer machine.

"You have reached Teresa Lisbon, sorry I am unavailable right now. Please leave a message."

-beep-

"Hi, uhh... Teresa? Oh! Right, Teresa. It's Bonnie. I know it has been a long time but we need to talk, Rochelle tried to get hold of you... please. It's about Nancy. Anyway... Get in touch."

The message ended and a red flashing light appeared on the phone dock. As Jane continued up the stairs she began to piece things together. Rochelle was the name of one of Lisbon's sisters, according to what Van Pelt had said. He committed the message to memory for later scrutiny. He needed to continue his assessment of Lisbon's house and get back to the CBI. As Jane headed towards the bedroom he couldn't help but notice the little details that made Lisbon's bedroom more personal than the rest of the house. Her wide bed sat freely in the middle of the room. It looked soft he thought. His eyes followed the thin green lines of embroidery that crept up the comforter like vines. The room smelt of cinnamon reminding him of his favourite agent and from where he stood he could see a brown leather jacket and black blazer peeking from her closet. He slid the door across, revealing what was and organised array of mostly black, with a few pink and blue shirts scattered through uncomfortably.

Pushing the hangers aside, he noticed a shelf harbouring a few strewn papers, and a cardboard box. Lifting the box down carefully and peering inside, she saw a watermarked black and white photo of an elegant woman standing outdoors. The woman was staring into the distance and holding a wide brimmed hat lightly at her waist. She was long and graceful in comparison to Lisbon, who was a petite package of concentrated energy. Despite this Jane could see a clear resemblance in their angular features and full pouted lips. A chill ran through him as he realised he was staring down at a photograph of Lisbon's mother. He felt guilty for having seen something so intimate and he placed the photo down, only to notice one of four girls laughing, their arms threaded around one another. At first Jane didn't recognize her, her light brown hair tossed into a careless braid, dark makeup around her eyes and layers of pendants hanging in place of the cross he had never seen removed. He pointed at the picture in surprise, staring wide eyed at a Youthful Teresa. Jane had always pictured her as an over achieving student, quiet and reclusive. The image he was looking down at was not how he had imagined her at all; she seemed care free and comfortable, with the three girls surrounding her. He flipped over the photo, reading the names sprawled across the back.

_Bonnie, Sarah, Rochelle and me._

_Blessed be._

At first he assumed the 'me' referred to Lisbon but the clumsy handwriting was nothing like her tidy script. He turned the photo back around and compared the order of the names with the positions of the girls in the image. He did this several times until he concluded that it was indeed her, second from the left.

"Sarah?" he whispered confused.

Just then his cell phone began vibrating his jacket pocket, making him jump. He looked down at the flashing image of his boss, lying face down at her computer, asleep. A photo he had taken when he had found her working late one night.

Im dead, he thought.

"Hey Lisbon!" he answered over cheerfully.

**Uh oh... like i said. not very clever Lisbon. She wont be pleased when she sees how much Jane has figured out all ready! Hope you are all liking the story! like always let me know what you want and ill try work it in :) **


	6. Ongoing Observation

**Here we go! we finally have these two in a room together, but with Jane taking slow steps towards finding out about Lisbons past, she is getting into a panic, so no cutsey stuff yet, just Lisbon in a miniskirt. ;) Thank you for all the great reviews! you guys are awesome. Enjoy!**

Disclaimer: I do not own, 'The Mentalist' or 'The Craft' but if i did it would go a little something like this...

"Jane? Where the hell are you?"

Lisbon was trying to sound convincing, but she was nervous.

"Don't worry your pretty head, my dear. I am on my way back as we speak"

How did he manage to sound calm? It actually frightened her a little. If she hadn't already known exactly what he was up to, his voice wouldn't have given her a clue. Though he was talking in a slightly higher pitch than usual, she noted.

"Where have you been Jane?" she queried, interested to see just how well he could tell a lie.

He muttered something about risking his life by talking on the phone while driving, to which she responded, "When you get here. My office" then hung up the phone. He hadn't even left her house yet! That's why she had called. He had been there for over an hour... she had thought he would break in, snoop a bit and be out in 15 minutes once he realised there was nothing out of the ordinary going on. It had her worried. What could have taken him so long? What could he possibly have found? Well she would find out soon enough. Hopefully he had just become fascinated with her choice in fabric softener or something. Taking the little clay consultant and locking him away safely into her desk draw, Lisbon relaxed. As far as she could remember there was nothing condemning to be found anywhere in her house.

How wrong she was. Jane could not get that photo out of his head. As he drove back towards the CBI, he went over every detail he could recall but mostly he just thought about how Lisbon had looked. She was a beautiful teenager, edgier than he would have ever believed. He was used to the straight arrow Lisbon who wore blazers and loafers. The photo had shown her sporting a daringly short tartan skirt, black knee high socks and a white button down blouse. Her necklaces where layered, rosary beads, silver locket and an emerald pendant on a black string. Her nails were dark; she wore a watch backwards on one wrist and a leather charm bracelet on the other. Her smile was the same though and so was the evidence of a troubled past in her eyes.

Not everything had changed he decided, but he preferred his Lisbon, with her dark hair, straight bangs and comfortable clothing. Well, he didn't know how much he was going to like her when he got back to the CBI. In fact he wasn't sure if he would get a chance to speak or she would just shoot him the second he walked in the door. He cringed as he turned into the car park, handing over his identification card.

He stood in front of her office door, willing himself to step inside and meet what ever wrath she had waiting. Taking a calming breath and plastering on a charming smile he swung it open without bothering to knock. He was greeted by a pair of steely green eyes, set bellow a furrowed brow.

"Hey Lisbon, what's up?" he asked, trying to sound smooth and nonchalant.

This only seemed to make her madder, as he noticed the crease now indented in her forehead. He took a step forward with his hands in the air aiming to disarm her, until he watched her eyes flick momentarily towards the top draw of her desk.

"What's in there?" he said pointing at it with a raised eyebrow.

"What? Uh... nothing! Jane, where have you been?" she stammered, amazed at how quickly he had found what she had been trying to hide all along.

"You shouldn't answer a question with a question, Lisbon. Are you deflecting?" he asked smugly, eager to follow this new lead.

"Cut the crap, Jane." Lisbon said, wondering how the hell it had turned out that _he _was questioning _her_ after spending the afternoon snooping around her house.

"I wasn't with another woman, my dear. If that's what was worrying you." Chuckling, he turned towards the exit, satisfied that he was out of trouble for now. He decided that the secret Lisbon was trying to keep was important enough that she wouldn't give it away by blowing up at him.

Lisbon sat at her desk, mouth open and furious. She glared at the back of his head as he turned to leave and with a slight twitch of her finger, sent a stapler hurtling towards it. She heard him yelp as it connected with his head, his hand darting up to cradle the bump that would now be forming.

"You are a cruel woman, Lisbon!" said Jane, his shoulders hunching as he turned back to her.

"You'll live" she snapped, satisfied as Jane hobbled back towards his couch.

He lay down as the team were finishing up around him.

"What happened? Are you ok?" Van Pelt asked with concern.

The back of Jane's hand rested limply on his forehead in a dramatic display. "Lisbon tried to kill me."

"Oh" they three of them responded indifferently, as they packed up their things.

Once the Bull pen was empty, Jane had a chance to mull over his findings. Neither him, nor Lisbon had given anything away in her office. It was like they were playing a high suspense game of cat and mouse. The only thing he had gathered from their confrontation was that there was something in her desk that he needed to see. All he had to do now was wait for Lisbon to leave.

**These two are constantly going back and forth, its hard to tell who has the upper hand, but Jane always manages to turn the situation around to get himself out of trouble. Gosh he is annoying. Poor Lisbon! Thanks for the great reviews and ideas! keep 'em coming :D **


	7. Unkempt Secrets

**Hey guys! Sorry for the late update I have been working alot to save for my trip to the states! :o :o imagine if i got to meet RT and SB over there :D Any way, updates will be more regular now :) thanks for hanging in there! Hope you enjoy the chapter.. bit more jisbony.**

Lisbon tossed restlessly in her bed while Jane had stayed behind to continue prying. She had hoped that by letting him nosey through her things his suspicions would be put to rest, but he wouldn't drop it. She suspected it may have something to do with the message that she had found waiting for her when she returned home. Judging by the time of the call, Jane would have been there to hear it and after the conversation she had heard him having with Van Pelt, there was no way he would miss the connection. Why was it that the past always came back to bite you in the ass? Lisbon asked herself as she buried her face in a pillow. Stupid Jane.

Satisfied that she was gone for the evening, and wouldn't be reappearing to collect forgotten files, Jane set to work. He knew she would have arrived home exhausted. Why did she always run herself down like that? She would have fumbled with her keys and staggered inside. He imagined her face turning sallow as she replayed her messages and guessed that she was now tossing in her wide, white bed. Those green vines tangled around her legs in disarray. She was so closed off, and he wanted in. If he was being honest, that was his motivation for doing all of this. She had kept him at arms length for too long and now he was going to extreme lengths to get inside her head. It was almost frightening. Not that he cared. If anyone could understand the way his mind worked it was the woman whose office he was he was now slinking into.

Invading people's privacy was his trade mark but again, he felt a strange twinge in his stomach as he was threatened by the guilt of entering her private refuge uninvited. It had never bothered him before, but in the past it had always been her company that he was seeking. On many occasions Lisbon had come into the office only to find her blond consultant resting languidly on the couch. It didn't even seem to surprise her anymore, Jane had noticed. Never the less, there seemed to be something inherently dishonest about him being there now. Curiosity got the better of him though as he made a beeline towards the desk drawer in question. He picked the lock with ease and reached inside. His jaw dropped as he unfolded the large white sheet of paper inside.

_Jane,_

_Keep the hell out of my stuff._

_Lisbon._

He stared wide eyed at the piece of paper in front of him, until a glowing smile crept across his face. So much for being in Lisbon's office without her knowledge he thought, impressed. He peered inside the drawer. Empty. Sliding it shut without bothering to put the note back Jane made his way towards the door. She obviously knew him too well so there was no point in pretending he hadn't been there. Shaking his head in a combination of awe and disbelief, he eased open the office door only to find a small, tired agent drowning in an over sized sweatshirt. She was staring up at him awkwardly, her dark hair pulled into a low pony tail and her hands hidden inside long grey sleeves. She was alternating her expression between that of a furious senior agent who had just found someone breaking into her office and amused mother who had caught her child hunting for Christmas presents. Jane however, thought she just looked tired. Tired and adorable.

"Hey Lisbon" he said, slightly embarrassed as she quirked and eyebrow at the note in his hand.

Lisbon often came back to the CBI when she couldn't sleep. On nights when she was plagued by nightmares or when anxiety had kept her awake, the only thing that could comfort her was the humming of her dead beat computer and the familiar confines of her office walls. Tonight was different though. She had known he would be there, and yet she had come in spite of that or maybe because of it. She couldn't decide.

"Hi Jane" she responded.

"What are you doing here so late?" Jane faltered uncharacteristically, realising the irony of he question.

Lisbon allowed a half grin to pull her lips. She couldn't help but think how ridiculous this all was.

"Jane, what are you doing in my office after midnight?" she asked bluntly, turning her wrist and tapping on the area where he watch was hidden under the worn grey fabric.

She let out a little gasp when Jane took her arms and began rolling up her sleeves, exposing the faded scars that lightly marred her pale skin.

"I am trying to figure you out" he said honestly, lifting his eyes to hers in a gesture of sincerity. His fingers pressed gently on her pulse point as he searched for her reaction.

The words "It's complicated" managed to escape through her quick intakes of breath and he nodded in understanding. If Jane knew anything, it was what it was like to have a complicated past.

"We have all night" he said winking in an attempt to lighten the mood.

She pulled her wrist away and smacked him lightly on the arm as punishment for the innuendo. The two of them made their way back into the office, Jane shutting the door behind him as he wondered why he had never thought to just ask her. Because it's Lisbon, he concluded.

**aww . . .they are a cute pair! hope you enjoyed it! please review. yes you. next update will be soon! keep an eye out :D I appreciate the feed back as always! **


	8. Pulling the Wool

**Disclaimer: I Do no Own _The Mentalist_. If I did there would be a lot more Jisbon. Nor do I own _The Craft_ If I did, there would be a lot more Jane.**

**A/N: Hey guys! Thanks so much for the reviews, knowing there are people out there enjoying it makes writing this story much more worthwhile. I try to respond to all the reviews I get so I'm sorry if I missed you out. I also try to incorporate your suggestions into the story so please let me know what you like/dislike/want. I'm working on making chapters longer! Hope you enjoy :D**

ey sat quietly in her dim, shadowy office at opposite ends of the couch. Lisbon with her knees tucked under her chin and Jane waiting patiently as he watched her shoulders slowly rise and fall. He wanted to know her badly. The woman had awoken a curiosity in him that he thought had died along with his wife and child. Since meeting her he had felt the foreign urge to learn about someone, just for the purpose of being close to them. No ulterior motive and nothing to be gained other than the privilege of her company. So he sat there, waiting. He didn't want to rush her into telling him what hidden secrets or past traumas were plaguing her. She wanted him to know, she wouldn't be sitting here with him otherwise, he acknowledged. But whatever it was that she needed to say, Jane knew it had to be on her own time.

Lisbon needed to have control of situations that was just how she was and this was no exception. Jane knew that no amount of pressure would convince the closed off agent across from him to speak before she was ready. He let the minutes pass by watching her, reading her body language. She had her arms wrapped around her body, effectively shutting it off from him, protecting herself. Her eyes were cast down, but he took it as a signal that she was deep in thought rather than avoiding him. He smiled to himself, knowing that if she knew he was analyzing her every movement she would be furious. If Lisbon hated anything, it was Jane trying to read her. Nobody actually seemed to enjoy being the target of Jane's psychoanalysis, but Lisbon was more agitated by it than normal and that was what had first caused him to be suspicious. The straight shooter Agent was so determined not to have Patrick Jane inside her head, that he had decided she must be hiding something.

She felt his gaze resting lightly on her small figure. Normally it would have made her uncomfortable to have someone watch her so intently, but the fact that the blue eyes focusing down on her belonged to the wayward consultant put her at ease. She scoffed inwardly, she really must be losing it. Never the less, she was sitting there now as vulnerable as ever about to confide her secrets in him. Some of them anyway. That is what had caused her to sit in silence for the past minutes, she was trying to get a handle on just how much she could reveal to the man next to her. Somehow she thought that _"Well, Jane. . . I'm a Witch and I'm upset because the members of my coven are trying to contact me in regards to someone who attempted to kill me and may or may not be locked up in a mental institution. What's your take?"_ would not sit well. Nope, he would take one look at her and have her institutionalised for fear of mental instability. She would tell him just enough to defuse his interest in her personal life. Once Jane felt he had gotten to the bottom of something, he quickly lost interest in it Lisbon had noted. So that is what she was planning to do, let him think he had solved some great mystery surrounding the infamously private Agents past and he would put it to rest. That and it might actually be nice to talk to someone, she added as a side thought.

Finally, having gathered the courage to speak, Lisbon tilted her head upwards and met the intense blue eyes of the man opposite her. He hadn't left the CBI once that evening, Lisbon noticed due to the fact he was still dressed in the same three piece suit he had been wearing that day. She worried her lip, thinking that the man really could not be deterred when it came to prying. On the same note, she was now feeling extremely uncomfortable sitting in front of him wearing her sweats. _Dammit_ she thought to herself. _Why did he always have to look so . . . good?_ Smoothing her hair and adjusting the sleeves of her sweat shirt, she moved into a crossed legged position, facing him.

Jane noted her change in stance with relief. She was no longer blocking herself off from him, and he could tell from the determined look etched into her porcelain face that she was preparing to speak. _Pretty Dolly_, Jane thought to himself. Because really, that is exactly what she could be. Sitting there in the partial lighting, Lisbon reminded him of a china doll, like the ones his daughter had kept. One in particular, with its perfect, pale skin a shock of peach at each cheek, glossy, jet black hair and deep green glassy eyes. He smiled to himself when he recalled that this particular doll did not come equipped with hand gun. His smile faded though, when he remembered what his wife had said to their little girl if ever she wanted to play with the fragile dolls, _"look but don't touch."_ Jane realised that those had been his sentiments towards Lisbon the entire time he had known her. Both of them would steal meaningful glances and his brightest grins were often met with her coy smiles but nothing more. He was simply too damaged to offer himself to her and he was aware that perhaps she was too. Well, he was about to find out he thought as he watched her open her mouth to finally speak.

"I never knew my mother" Lisbon blurted, matter-of-factly. "She died giving birth to me and..."

Jane wanted to laugh despite the sadness of what she was saying. It was the fact that she was so out of touch with sharing anything personal about herself.

She slowed down after that, muttering an apology. Jane placed a comforting hand on her covered forearm, taking note of the way she tensed up and shivered at the contact.

"So I mean... it made for a tough childhood and whatever" she continued, clearly still uncomfortable with the topic of conversation.

He hated watching her struggle so with a low soothing voice he tried to help her feel calm and relaxed. "Lisbon. Its okay" he said in a low hum. Whatever it is you want me to know, you can tell me. Don't rush. I'm not going anywhere." He moved his thumb in small circles against the underside of her arm, slowing to a stop before she could slip accidently into a trance. It did seem to help her though, he thought. Pleased with his efforts as Lisbon spoke more freely, eased of the tension and discomfort she previously felt.

"I didn't really fit in at school", she explained. "I wasn't happy, and I started having nightmares"

"Nightmares?" Jane queried, intrigued.

"yea, they weren't about anything in particular, just images. It got worse as I got older. I was so distracted in school and tired at home that I would day dream, but it seemed so real. When I opened my eyes everything I was dreaming about would be right there in front of me. Snakes, bugs, spiders..." she recalled with a shudder. "It got so bad that when I was 15, I tried to kill myself." She whispered, hiding her head again, ashamed.

Jane hid his shock, moving in closer to comfort her. He moved a tentative hand to her chin, bringing her face back up to him. She glanced quickly down at her hidden wrists and then stared back up at him through the watery green pools that were her eyes. He wanted to cry. Pulling her closer he pulled her sleeves up ghosted his thumb over each faded scar.

Embarrassed, Lisbon straightened herself up. "Doctors called it hallucinations" she stated, with a hint of resentment lacing her voice. "Anyway..." she said, trying to brush the intensity of the conversation aside. "My dad found work out of town and we moved away. He said a change of scene would be good for me."

Jane understood. He was familiar with the "change of scene" stunt faltering parents pulled when they didn't know how to help their child. It w  
as common practice. People thought that by leaving a place where bad things had happened, the problem would effectively disappear. Jane knew better. That was part of the reason he hadn't sold his house. It wouldn't change anything that had happened. Besides, the house held guilt ridden memories that he didn't deserve escape from. He quickly squelched that line of thinking, giving his undivided attention back to the woman sitting across from him.

"That's when I started at St. Benedict's" Lisbon continued. "I met Bonnie and Rochelle there." She said, looking at Jane Pointedly.

_Dammit_. He thought, trying to hide his embarrassment. "Who?" Jane questioned innocently.

Lisbon rolled her eyes but went with it. "We were friends" she said, seeming to choose her words carefully. "There were four of us. Bonnie, Rochelle and Nancy, they were the closest thing I had to family besides my dad, and step mom.

_Nancy_, Jane noted thinking back to the picture he had found hidden in Lisbon's closet. He decided she must have been the dark, haunted looking young girl, standing farthest away from the group. And in turn the one who had scrawled onto the back of the photograph.

"So are you still in touch?" Jane asked, feigning innocence.

Lisbon smacked him hard in the arm. "Cut the crap Jane!" she almost shouted. "I know you have been digging up on me! I heard you talking to the Van Pelt! You were in my house!" She couldn't help but laugh at the shocked expression on his face. The normally composed consultant was staring at her with his mouth open, looking as though he had just seen her sprout a second head.

"H-how did you know?" he stammered.

Lisbon just shook her head. "Look Jane, if you have something to ask me, ask now because if I find you checking up on me again, I will not hesitate to shoot you." She stated, half joking.

"I'm really sorry Lisbon" he said, his hand going to the back of his neck as he flushed in embarrassment. _Caught Red Handed_ he thought. He was losing his touch.

"I've been worried about you. You seem anxious lately. I was just curious as to why."

Lisbon sighed. "Things ended...badly between the four of us and now they are trying to get in touch" she explained.

"You don't want to talk to them?" he questioned.

"No, I didn't like the way the three of them were doing things back then and when I spoke up they turned against me, it got pretty serious."

"What happened?" Jane said, suddenly protective. He hated the thought of anyone hurting Lisbon, especially pre self defence training, gun wielding Lisbon.

She was shocked by the aggressive edge to his voice. It was rare that she saw Jane display any other emotion than languid disinterest or mischievous excitement. It unnerved her slightly.

"Are you going to ask for their parent's names and numbers?" She joked, trying to lighten the mood but Jane was still in defensive mode.

"Look Lisbon, of anyone is causing you stress or discomfort I want to know. I may not carry a weapon but can help" he said, offering her his sincerest gaze.

She was touched by his concern, and disarmed completely by the warm, passionate stare he had captured her in.

His attention shifted to her naturally downcast lips as she managed to draw out a dreamy "I'll be fine..."

The moment that their eyes met again, there came the steady sound of footsteps trudging towards the office. Jane sat up straight in surprise; he hadn't noticed that he had been leaning inwards towards the agent in front of him. Lisbon's hand darted reflexively, pointing with two fingers in the direction of the door. The next two sounds filled Lisbon with relief and Jane with confusion. There was a rattling at the door handle and a frustrated huff from behind the door as the night guard made his way back down the hall.

Jane hadn't locked the door. In fact he was sure the door didn't have a lock on it to begin with, since he had never had to pick one. Lisbon dropped her hand immediately as he caught eye contact with her. She stared at him for a moment wide eyed, before quickly standing up and heading towards the exit.

_Shit. _Lisbon thought as she blurted out a quick "I've got to go."

"Wha... Wait!" Jane exclaimed pointing his trembling index finger from her to the door.

He didn't get a response as he saw her grab her things in a fluster, and rush out without a backwards glance. He stood to follow her but his legs buckled and he fell softly back down on the couch. He needed a minute or two to figure out what the hell he had just seen.

The next day when everyone was busy working in the bullpen, Jane walked cautiously into Lisbon's office only to find it empty. He felt a twisting in the pit of his stomach as he glanced over at the couch where they had sat together intimately, only hours before. Walking around the small room Jane saw a sheet of paper lying conspicuously on the desk. He peered over and raised his eyebrows in surprise when he read the bold heading '**Request for Leave of Absence.'**

**Uh oh Lisbon... you messed up! No way Jane would have missed that. Since you have kindly taken the time to read this, would you spare a moment to review? :) I promise it makes me update faster and will hopefully help with the quality of the story!**


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